


It started out with a kiss

by not_a_total_basket_case



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, just pure tooth rotting fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-17 06:01:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17554754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/not_a_total_basket_case/pseuds/not_a_total_basket_case
Summary: 3 times Clarke and Bellamy had an excuse + 1 they didn’t





	It started out with a kiss

Clarke has been a little bit in love with Bellamy for almost as long as she’s known him. Of course in the first few weeks of knowing him, she didn’t realise it. She just thought he was an annoying arsehole who was out to get her. But then she realised she was looking forward to starting an argument with him. And then they weren’t fighting anymore, she was flirting. 

But she’d never made a move because she could never discern if he was interested in her. He’d always shown her he cared. He’s always been there for her. He’d come the second she needed him. But he does that for everyone. He just a really good friend that has never shown any romantic interest in her. That she’s in love with. Which is fine. Really. 

“Jasper wants to play truth or dare,” Raven calls as she approaches Clarke and Harper at the bar. Her eyes are sparkling with the mischievous look she has come to know so well. 

“Why am I even surprised?” Clarke asks, following Raven to the booth the rest of her friends are sitting at. 

“I don’t think we’ve played since high school,” Harper laughs. 

“Figures that it’ll be Jasper that wants to play though,” Clarke agrees. 

It’s Jasper’s twenty third birthday and two weeks until Christmas, which means they’re in his favourite bar celebrating. His birthday is always a dramatic event, made even more so by the fact they have to hold off their Christmas plans until after. 

“Finally,” Jasper shouts. “We’ve been waiting for you two for hours.”

“We literally went to get drinks a minute ago,” Harper rolls her eyes but drops down on the seat beside her boyfriend, Monty.  

“Whatever,” Jasper grins. “Sit down, Griffin. I want to play.” 

Clarke squeezes into the last remaining space in the booth. It’s next to Bellamy and he has to wrap his arm around her to stop her from falling off. But he smiles softly at her when he does it, which almost has her melting. She has got to do something about this stupid crush. 

“Aww look, they’re cuddling,” Miller deadpans, rolling his eyes at Raven as though he knows something she doesn’t. Which he doesn’t. He’s just being embarrassing. 

“Fuck off,” Bellamy mutters. Clarke can feel him kicking at Miller’s ankles and grins. She likes that he doesn’t let their friends teasing get to him. 

“Truth or dare, Miller?” Jasper yells over the group as he slaps his hands on the table dramatically. 

“Truth,” Miller decides. “I’m not getting up.” 

“Are you, or are you not, currently in a relationship with one Eric Jackson?” Jasper asks. 

“That’s a dumb question,” Miller mutters. “I am.” 

There are choruses of excitement that Clarke just smiles at. She’s been friends with Jackson for years and he’d told her about the dates he’d been on with Miller when they were both back home a few weeks ago. 

“Your turn,” Raven says, when the cheers die down. 

“Truth or dare, Rae?”

“Truth,” she answers. 

“What three things would you take if you were stranded on a desert island?” Miller asks.

“How did I know I was going to get stranded?” Raven responds, eyebrows raised.

“Just answer the fucking question,” Miller rolls his eyes. 

“A radio, a helicopter and my red jacket,” Raven grins. “It gets cold at night.”

“You can’t take a helicopter,” Jasper groans but Raven grins, shaking her head. 

“You didn’t give me any rules,” she laughs. “I tried to get some restrictions but I was told to just answer the question.”

“Whatever, your turn.”

“Truth or dare, Monroe?”

“Dare,” Monroe decides. 

“Let me text anyone from your phone,” Raven says, holding her hand out expectantly. 

“Whatever,” Monroe shrugs, unlocking her phone and handing it to Raven. Harper leans over Raven’s shoulders and giggles when she sees the contact Raven has selected.

“She’s going to kill you,” she tells Raven, as she hands the phone back. 

“What did she do?” Murphy asks, trying to look over Monroe’s shoulder at her phone.

“Asked the cute girl from her office out for drinks,” Harper grins. 

“Chaotic good,” Murphy nods. 

The game goes on, pausing only for gleeful cheering when Monroe’s office crush texts back and agrees to go out with her. Monroe dares Harper to go order her drink because she’s too squashed into the booth and Harper asks Murphy about his awkwardest encounter. Murphy dares Jasper to get up and dance on the table, which he does until the person behind the bar comes out and tells him to get down. Jasper turns to Clarke, a smirk on his face.

She knows he’s going to ask about Bellamy. She can tell by the look in his eyes. He’s going to ask her to admit her feelings or something and it’s going to be embarrassing, so she smirks right back. He can’t get her to confess anything if she chooses dare.

“Dare,” she grins. She’s outsmarted him. 

“I dare you to kiss someone at the table,” Jasper smirks back. 

She groans out loud and looks around. Most of her friends are in relationships, so even if it’s just a stupid game of truth or dare, she’s not going to kiss them. Which leaves her with Raven, Miller, Jasper or Bellamy. She could get up and walk around the table and kiss Raven, which would be the least weird for her, but so obvious. Bellamy is sitting right next to her. If she got up to kiss Raven, she would have to confess why. Which she is not willing to do.

She closes her eyes for a second, Jasper outsmarted her. He’d have analysed the situation before asking her. He’d know Bellamy is the best choice. Jasper is her least favourite friend at the moment. 

She opens her eyes and turns to Bellamy and asks, “do you mind?” She half hopes he’ll turn her down and she’ll be able to move on to Raven, but he shakes his head. So she nods and moves her head forward.

When Bellamy leans in, Clarke closes her eyes without consciously deciding to do so. The first touch of his lips to hers short circuits her brain and she forgets to move for half a second. But then she kisses him back, instead of pulling away. His hand rests on her waist and she brings hers up to cup his cheek and she knows that it’s more than Jasper was expecting but she doesn’t know how to stop. This has definitely ruined her.

Bellamy pulls away and she becomes aware of the catcalling and cheers around the table. She composes herself, flips her hair over her shoulder and smirks at Jasper.

“Easy,” she says, as though it’s not going to be the only thing on her mind for the next several months. “Truth or dare, Monty?” 

Clarke manages to keep her composure until Bellamy is asked about the kiss. She can’t keep the blush off her cheeks when he agrees that, ‘ _ yeah, she’s a good kisser.’ _

Bellamy asks Murphy something, but Clarke isn’t listening anymore. She’s too distracted by the fact that Bellamy thinks she’s a good kisser. Maybe she can convince him to do it again.

Not even ten minutes later, the game ends and Clarke’s head is still swimming. It’s bad enough being in close proximity and being in love with Bellamy. Now she has the knowledge of what it’s like to kiss him and to know that he think she is a good kisser. How is she supposed to ignore her crush now? She is so fucked. 

\----

“You’re never going to know how he feels if you don’t talk to him,” Raven lectures. They’re in the car on their way to Monty and Harper’s apartment for their ‘ _Friendmas_ ’ celebration. It had become a tradition in Clarke’s sophomore year of college and they made sure to arrange it so they could all attend every year. This year they were having dinner on the 20th, before everyone who is going home, goes home. 

“I can’t just tell him,” Clarke mutters, putting her feet on Raven’s dash because she knows it annoys her and she can’t think of a rebuttal. The only reason she has is that she thinks Bellamy doesn’t like her in the way she likes him. Which Raven doesn’t agree with. 

“Why not?” Raven asks. “You don’t know that for sure. And he wouldn’t have kissed you like that if he didn’t have some interest.”

Clarke just sighs dramatically because she doesn’t have an argument for this either. It’s not how she would have kissed Raven or any of the others. She can’t explain why he kissed her the way he did. Not that she’s complaining. She just wants to do it again. Which is an annoying way to feel about one of her best friends. 

“See,” Raven groans. “You can’t argue this because you know I’m right.” 

“Shut up or I’ll return your Christmas present.” 

“You won’t. You love me,” Raven tells her. And Clarke sighs again. Because she’s not wrong. No one else would let her vent for hours upon hours about Bellamy. 

They’re the last to arrive at Monty and Harper's and are greeted by enthusiastic cheers and glasses of the cheap champagne that they prefer over the fancy bottles. Niylah throws them both a Christmas sweater that she’d knitted herself and instructs them to wear it. 

It’s not much later after they’ve arrived that Monty ushers them around the table and sets the camera to take a picture. And then ten more. And then Murphy helps him bring the food out, more than the group can eat. They chat and laugh and complain about their plans for actual Christmas Day, knowing that nothing is going to top this. Nothing ever tops the time they spend together as a group.

Jasper declares presents the moment the dishes are in the kitchen and pulls on a Santa beard to distribute them. They had decided to buy everyone a gift, but had set the budget at $10 per person and banned chocolates. Which had meant they had to get creative. Clarke grins as she opens a pair of gloves, a phone charger, a single paintbrush (but one she had been eyeing when she was shopping with Echo the other day), a box of red hair dye and various other both practical and useless items. 

She glances over to see Bellamy grinning at the gift she’d bought him. A box of socks with different emotions, depending on how he’s feeling on the day. She’d bought an extra set for herself in a size too big, so she could put an extra pair of  _ grumpy  _ ones in his box.  

“This was a great idea,” Harper says, once the gifts have been opened and everyone has settled in. 

“We’re definitely doing it again next year,” Monty agrees, leaning his head against Harper. They agree and begin to make halfhearted plans of who is going to host  _ Friendmas _ the next year. Clarke smiles, her group of friends may be messy and troublesome, but she loves them. 

“Blake,” Murphy says, interrupting Clarke’s thoughts. “Your turn to get the drinks.”

Bellamy sighs dramatically but hauls himself off the couch and towards the kitchen. He barely makes it five steps before Miller, Raven, Niylah, Jasper and Luna have all asked for drinks.

“I can’t get all these on my own,” he calls over his shoulder. He doesn’t even look back to see if anyone has gotten up. When no one moves, Clarke gets up and follows him into the kitchen.

“Our friends suck,” she tells him, stepping beside him and reaching into the fridge for the bottle they’d been using for mixers. It’s not unusual for them to stand close together, but Bellamy’s arm brushes against hers more than once and she feels like they’re probably an inch or two closer than normal. It’s tempting to lean into him and she has to remind herself that they’re just friends. Friends that kissed only because of a dare two weeks ago. He’s her best friend and she doesn’t need to complicate that relationship by confessing feelings he probably doesn’t share with her. 

“They do,” he agrees, lining the cups up along the counter and helping her make the drinks. 

“Have you had a good night?” She asks, wanting to prolong their time alone. They haven’t just hung out together in a while, they’ve both been too busy with study and finals. 

“I have. Don’t think I didn’t notice that you added two pairs of  _ grumpy _ socks,” he grins, bumping her shoulder. “Have you?”

“Yeah, it’s been good,” she says and then softly adds, “I’ve missed you.”

“We’ll have to get coffee or something before you fly to your mums,” he agrees. 

“I’ll be back on the 29th,” Clarke tells him. “For the New Years party.” It’s another of their annual celebrations, this year hosted in the backyard of the new place Miller had recently moved into. It’s going to be great.

“Oh good,” Bellamy grins, wandering back towards the living room where Jasper’s bottle of moonshine still sat on the coffee table. “You can help me wrangle these drunken idiots that night.”

“Or we could just be the drunken idiots and let Miller do the wrangling,” Clarke tries, following him through the doorway.

“Hey guys,” Monty calls, leaning over the back of the couch so he can see them. “I don’t wish to alarm you, but you’re standing under mistletoe.” 

“What the fuck,” Bellamy mutters, glancing up. And it’s there, stuck to the ceiling and unmistakably mistletoe. 

“How has no one else been caught under this?” Clarke asks, glaring at Raven, even though she doesn’t think she’s the culprit. 

“We all saw it,” she shrugs. “But no excuses.”

“Twice in two weeks, princess?” Bellamy says, raising his eyebrows, the question in his eyes. Letting her make the call. Letting her know that they’re friends above all else. 

“It’s what the people want,” she says, throwing a glare over her shoulder at their friends before turning back to Bellamy with a soft smile on her face. She can’t believe she has gotten into another situation where she has to kiss her best friend. Not that she  _ has to  _ do anything. She knows if she didn’t want to, Bellamy would never make her. He’d even tell their friends to back off. But she does want this. Or she wants to kiss him. Not necessarily under the mistletoe in Monty and Harper’s apartment. But she wants to kiss him. In a milllion different ways. 

It’s different now that they’re both standing. He’s substantially taller than her, so she has to crane her neck a little but he meets her halfway and then his lips meet hers again. She’s ready this time, kissing back straight away and not letting herself freeze. She wraps her arms around his neck and just like she did at Jasper’s birthday, she gets lost in it. 

Bellamy probably does too because it’s far too long to be just a mistletoe kiss by the time they separate.

“Merry Christmas,” he whispers, pressing his forehead against hers. It’s so many steps past the friendship she’d been sure they only had. But she doesn’t question it. Not right now.

“Merry Christmas, Bell.”

\----

By New Years Clarke officially has no idea where Bellamy’s feelings for her stand. Nothing has really changed in their relationship, except the fact that they have kissed twice and she has fallen even harder for him. And her friends are constantly asking her if she has told him yet. Or if he’s told her. It’s getting frustrating. 

They got coffee before she flew back home for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and he picked her up from the airport like he had a million times. They spent an afternoon watching movies they’d both seen and they had just hung out. Nothing seemed to have changed, but there is a part of Clarke that knows very well that Bellamy wouldn’t have kissed her like that unless he meant it. He’s just not that kind of guy. 

“Do we have to go to this party?” Bellamy shouts from his bathroom, where he is brushing his teeth. He’s wearing a pair of the  _ grumpy  _ socks that Clarke had given him and she can’t help but smile everytime she sees them.

“Yes,” she shouts back. She’s sitting on his kitchen bench, handheld mirror balanced precariously on her knees as she applies the final touches of makeup.

“Next year we’re staying home and watching movies,” he grumbles, stepping out of the bathroom. He’s wearing a button down that Clarke has bought him the year before and his hair is artfully messy and she can’t help but stare him for a second before nodding her head.

“You clean up well, Blake,” she tells him, ignoring the swoop of butterflies at the idea of spending New Year’s alone together and placing her mirror beside her and hopping off the counter. They always compliment each other. This isn’t weird. 

“So do you,” his smile is soft and does nothing to help her confusion. Just friends don’t look at each other like that. 

“Come on,” she decides instead, hopping off the counter and taking his hand, instead of trying to over analyse his words. “Let’s go.” 

The taxi only takes ten minutes to get to Miller’s place and by the time they arrive the party is in full swing. Miller greets them with enthusiasm and introduces them both to Jackson, despite Clarke’s reminders that she knows him. They help themselves to drinks even though neither of them plans on getting that drunk and venture into the living room. Raven is versing Echo in beer pong and they’re too evenly matched to be getting anywhere. And they have a complicated set of rules that no one else understands but it means they can block the ball at certain times and angles, so Clarke thinks the game will probably go longer than midnight. But they join their friends in cheering them on anyway. 

Bellamy doesn’t really leave Clarke’s side for the night, which isn’t technically weird because they spend so much time together anyway, but this feels different. She can’t put her finger on why and doesn’t want to question him, in case it scares him off. She likes this new proximity.

“You and Blake are awfully close tonight,” Raven says, when they go to the bathroom around ten o’clock. She beat Echo, but only by a cup. 

“We’re friends,” Clarke shrugs. She’s said it once, she’s said it a million times. 

“I believe it,” Raven rolls her eyes. “Friends definitely behave like you two nerds.” 

Clarke doesn’t ask what she means, she already knows. She’s finally beginning to doubt that her feelings aren’t reciprocated. Just friends don’t share the unnecessary, soft touches she and Bellamy have been. Just friends don’t find excuses to brush shoulders or fingers or stand close beside each other when there is really enough room. She’s not complaining, she just has no idea how to deal with this. 

She gets them both another drink, only their second, and finds Bellamy again talking to Miller. 

“Are you two married yet?” He asks. He’s so drunk that Clarke decides his words don’t warrant an answer and she just rolls her eyes at him, forcing the blush out of her cheeks. 

At eleven, they join Murphy and Emori on the couch out the back. It’s hot inside and the cold air is a relief. So is being away from their probably well-meaning but very embarrassing friends. 

“What was your favourite part of this year?” Clarke asks, squishing up between Emori and Bellamy so all four of them can sit on the loveseat that was definitely only designed for two people.

“That one is easy,” Murphy says, looking at Emori with a soft look that is reserved only for her. “I got to spend it with the love of my life. Best year so far.” 

“Same,” Bellamy says and it’s dark, but Clarke is pretty sure he flushes. “I mean, best year so far. I graduated.”

“Sure Blake,” Emori gives Murphy a knowing look, as if they know something Clarke and Bellamy don’t, but doesn’t press the subject. “It has been a good year though.” 

They sit and talk about the year for a while longer, reminiscing on what they’ve achieved and the memories they’ve made until Emori disappears inside after Raven comes looking for her. Murphy eventually gets up to follow, leaving Clarke and Bellamy on the couch outside alone. She knows it’s approaching midnight but she’s not ready to get up and go inside. So she doesn’t move. Not yet. She’ll tell him the time when it gets closer. But for now it’s just the two of them, she doesn’t want that to end yet. 

“ _ Two minutes, _ ” Miller shouts from inside. Clarke looks over her shoulder and into the house where their friends are preparing to bring in the New Year and she still can’t bring herself to want to move. Bellamy’s arm is warm around her shoulders and she’s tucked into his side. Neither of them have moved over, despite Emori and Murphy having gone inside fifteen minutes earlier. 

“Should we go in?” Clarke asks, trying to hide the reluctance in her voice. 

“If you want to,” Bellamy offers, making no effort to get off the couch. Almost as if he’s as comfortable as she is. 

“Not really,” she says softly. It’s a little bit of a confession, but he doesn’t have to read into it if he doesn’t want to. It can just be the two of them bringing in the New Year together. That’s something friends do. 

“We can stay here,” he agrees, leaning down to rest his head against hers and it's as much of a vague confession as hers was. “I’m comfortable.” 

“And we might be able to see the fireworks from here,” she says. It’s a cloudy night, but there is supposed to be a fireworks display in the city. They might be able to see some of it from where they’re sitting. 

Clarke looks up at Bellamy when she hears the countdown start from inside, ready to wish him a happy New Year, only to find that he’s already looking at her. It’s a look she’s become familiar with and when her friends shout in the New Year from inside, she’s not surprised when their lips meet, seemingly on their own accord. 

It’s different from the last two times, which had almost been a dramatic show for their friends. It’s soft and slow and when his hand comes to rest on her waist, he’s not doing it because they have to. Her fingers tangle in his hair as she deepens the kiss, not wanting to pull away and not even caring their friends could walk outside at any moment. 

“Happy New Year,” he whispers, when they pull apart, faces only inches from each other.

“Happy New Year,” she whispers back.

\----

Clarke ends up spending the night at Bellamy’s because it’s easier than trying to get back to her own apartment at 2am. They put on a movie and she rests her head in his lap, letting him card his fingers through her hair. She fully intends to talk to him about the kiss and finally find out where he stands, but she falls asleep. 

She wakes up the next morning and Bellamy isn’t on the couch with her and for a moment she panics, thinking he has woken up and regretted the third kiss they shared. They didn’t really have any excuse other than the New Year and she’s worried he’s gone. But she finds him in the kitchen, making pancakes and she can’t help smile. He’s added blueberries, which are her favourite. There has to be something more there.

“Do we need to talk about last night?” She asks when he sets a plate in front of her and sits beside her. She cuts off a section of pancakes so she has something else to focus on. She’s nervous. What if he tells her that it was just for the night? Just a way to bring in the New Year?

“Probably,” Bellamy agrees, taking her cutlery from her hands and holding them in his own. “We kissed for the third time in a month.” 

“It was New Years,” Clarke nods, entwining her fingers with his. This has got to mean something more. He wouldn’t be holding her hands like this just to let her down easy. She finally believes they’re on the same page. “But it wasn’t just a New Years kiss to me.” 

“I really like you, Clarke,” Bellamy tells her. “It wasn’t just a kiss to me either.”

This time when he leans forward to kiss her, they have no excuse. They can’t hide behind the guise of a dare, or mistletoe or the stroke of midnight. They’re kissing because they want to, because they share the same feelings. Because they love each other. 

"I want us," Clarke says softly. "I love you."

**Author's Note:**

> Write drunk, edit sober (ish). 
> 
> [My tumblr is here!](raven-reyes-of-sunshine.tumblr.com)


End file.
